Featured Member Project

Featured Member

The name for the program, Arts Talk, came from Chris O'Brien, and the logo was designed by Michelle Fizer, both artists with disabilities.

With the increased focus on accessibility in recent years, many in the arts community are turning their attention to a segment often left out of the conversation: artists with disabilities who work within the cultural field. This October, 200 artists, service providers, arts professionals and employers will come together for Arts Talk, Tennessee’s Forum for Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities. The goal of the conference is to provide artists with resources, skills, and connections to find careers in the arts.

The two women behind Arts Talk are Lisa Hester, director of arts access for Tennessee Arts Commission, and Lori Kissinger, executive director of VSA arts Tennessee. They have seen firsthand the need for this kind of conference in their state, but they weren’t able to produce it without funding assistance, a common thread for arts access programs. Last year, they worked jointly on a proposal to the National Arts and Disability Center. Along with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, VSA arts, and Middle Tennessee State University, Hester and Kissinger had enough resources to get the program off the ground. They have high hopes that this pilot year of the program will make a difference with helping to empower artists with disabilities. “The forum will allow people to discover their own potential,” says Kissinger.

The forum will aim to encourage open communication, dispel myths, and promote understanding between artists and employers by creating an atmosphere of open dialogue. With a spotlight on persistence, facilitators will stress to the artists the importance of maintaining a positive attitude even when obstacles stand in their way. “Everyone has at least one talent; we just sometimes need a little help in polishing that talent so it can shine,” Kissinger added. “Disabilities sometimes hide talents from the world, and I hope this conference provides a little polish in the areas of professional skills and inroads so that the talents can shine instead of the disabilities.”